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As Helldivers 2 makes players choose between saving children and a new Stratagem, Arrowhead looks to give 'alive and scheming' GM Joel an equally nefarious partner

Helldivers 2's Game Master Joel is not retiring and will be joined by a second Game Master to bring even more chaos to the galactic wars.

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D&D-style Game Master Joel is secretly the nefarious mastermind pulling the strings behind Helldivers 2's ongoing galactic wars, from his various switcharoos to forcing players into fighting Automatons, and it sounds like that chaos is about to double with the introduction of a second Game Master.

Arrowhead Studios recently posted a job opening on its official website looking for a Game Master to "handle the day-to-day running of the Galactic War in Helldivers 2." Some players speculated that Joel might be retiring the Game Master dice, but the studio has now confirmed it's looking for a second war architect to bolster its ranks.

"To paraphrase the late, great Mark Twain: 'The rumors about Joel's demise are greatly exaggerated.' He's very much alive and scheming at AH just as usual," community manager Thomas 'Twinbeard' Petersson explained in the game's Discord. "Our GM ad is us looking for someone else just as evil good at planning as Joel is, so we can wreak even more intergalactic havoc."

I've always been curious about what exactly Joel does, besides pushing bugs and bots across an imaginary war table and interlocking his fingers like an anime villain leaning in to explain a nefarious scheme. Thankfully, the job ad dishes on all the details.

"They attempt to run an engaging and evolving campaign by reacting, anticipating, and challenging the players on a community-wide scale. It is their job to work on improving existing systems and defining the design for new features related to the Galactic War," while also setting up Major Orders, modifier effects, and more, according to the ad.

Look no further than the current Helldivers 2 Major Order, which makes divers choose between an Anti-Tank Mine stratagem and thousands of innocent Super Earth children begging to be saved. (The answer is obvious and I look forward to blowing up tanks with my new toys.)

Elsewhere, Helldivers 2’s upcoming patch is making over 100 changes to the game.